


The Small and Helpless

by The_annoying_fangirl



Series: The Adventures of Zynobia Dova [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Adoption, Dragon born is married to ulfric, Dragonborn is a mother, Fluff, Healing, Hearthfire DLC, High Queen, Magic, Papa ulfric, Poor sofie, Selling flowers, Ulfric is a father, Ulfric is a giant softie, Windhelm, homeless, they are adorable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 14:47:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14167221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_annoying_fangirl/pseuds/The_annoying_fangirl
Summary: Zynobia can't turn away from a child in need and Ulfric pretty much just does what his wife says.





	The Small and Helpless

**Author's Note:**

> I made Sofia look different than in the game when describing her because, let's face it, without a mod, every child looks the same XD

On seeing Zynobia approach, the guards instantly opened the gate doors for her, nodding as she walked passed them. Normally she would have smiled, offered small talk, but it was late, she had just been on a long journey, and she was too exhausted to worry about formalities. Instead she just nodded back and continued to trudge into the city of Windhelm. It was cold, but she didn't mind, her armor kept her warm, and she was a Nord anyways, she was used to the cold.

All she wanted to do was get home, climb in bed with her husband, and sleep for at least 24 hours in an actual bed. However, she knew these plans were most likely down the drain the moment she heard the whimpering. It was coming from near Niranye's house, so she snaked around to take a peek, and what she saw made her heart break.

A little girl was huddled into the corner of a wall, trying to keep warm. She was clearly asleep, but that didn't stop the heart wrenching noises coming from her shaking body. Zynobia kneeled next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. The child shot up, scrambling against the wall as she stared at the woman in front of her.

"Shh, it's alright, love, I'm not going to hurt you." Zynobia said gently. A frown tugged at the corner of the girls lip as her eyes scanned over the older woman. Suddenly, recognition flooded them.

"Oh! Your highness!" she exclaimed.

"No need for that, you can call me Zynobia." she replied, shrugging off her wool cloak and draping it over the small girl. She seemed confused, but didn't object the kind gesture.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Zynobia asked her.

"Sofie, ma'am." she said.

"How old are you?"

"Ten."

"By the God's," Zynobia whispered. She would have guessed seven, maybe eight, Sofie was so small. The rags she was wearing practically swallowed her, yet they were still not that big.

"Okay... Okay... Where are your parents, Sofie?" she asked.

"They... They're dead. My mama died when I was little I- I don't remember her very well. My father was a stormcloak soldier, one day he left and he... He didn't come back. I'm all alone. I try to sell flowers so I can buy food. It's not much, but what else can I do?" she frowned. Zynobia closed her eyes and took in a breath, composing herself before speaking again.

"Come on, Darling, it's too cold for you to be out here." Zynobia stood and offered her hand to Sofie who hesitated but eventually took it. Zynobia walked the girl to the Palace of the Kings, the guards nodding at her and opening the door for her. Sofia clung close to the woman's side, making her smile.

The thrown room was empty other than a few guards by the entrance, as expected as it was so late. Zynobia ushered Sofie in and sat her down at the table. Now that she was in the light, she could see the girls condition better. Dirt caked her face, her lips were blue, and she had a few cuts on her arms and legs. Zynobia calmly pulled her knapsack off her shoulders and pulled out a few potions. After a bit of healing hands and a cure disease potion, the young girl looked much better. Still, she was warn out, her ribs seen clearly poking out of her skin. She looked ghastly.

"Come on, let's get you a bath and some clean clothes." Zynobia said.

"Thank you so much- you don't have to help me." Sofie said.

"I don't but what kind of person would I be if I didn't. Come on then, love."

~~~

Sofie was now as clean as she could be, a soft white nightgown over her tiny frame, and she was sitting on a bed I a guest room. Zynobia was humming as she started a fire in the fireplace. They heard footsteps approaching, but the dragonborn wasn't alarmed. The door to the bedroom opened and there stood Ulfric Stormcloak. Of course, he was fully dressed because heaven forbid anyone see the high king in his pajamas, Zynobia always teased him about it. He looked from the girl to his wife, confused.

"Hi, Ulfric." Zynobia smiled, standing from the now lit fire and wrapping her arms around her husband. He hugged her back.

"I assumed you'd be coming straight to bed once you got home. Who's this?" he asked in his deep voice. Sofie sat on the bed looking up at the High King with a mixture of awe and terror. Zynobia couldn't blame her, Ulfric was intimidating more often than not, and he wasn't even trying.

"This is Sofie. She's feeling ill so we'll talk to her tomorrow, she needs her rest." Zynobia said before turning and walking back to the bed.

"Lay down, princess." she ordered softly. Sofie nodded and slowly lowered herself, pulling the blankets up over her. Zynobia smoothed some of the young girls hair back.

"Get some sleep, love, when you wake up you find me in the room I showed you or downstairs. If you can't find me anyone of the guards can point you in the right direction, alright?" she asked. Sofie nodded.

"Thank you so much, Miss Zynobia," she said. Zynobia didn't bother on correcting her for saying miss, at least she was no longer calling her Highness, which she had never been comfortable with in the first place. She nodded, gave the girl a smile, and walked out of the room, flicking her hand to magic the fire out before she exited.

"So, who is the young girl?" Ulfric asked as they walked to the end of the hall where their bedroom was. Zynobia sighed, her face falling into a frown.

"Found her asleep outside in nothing but rags. Dirty, sick, cold. She's an orphan." she explained. Ulfric frowned.

"Why isn't she at the orphanage in Riften?" he asked. Zynobia rolled her eyes.

"Not many people really care too much about the orphans. There are only about six in Honorhall, but there are tons around Skyrim alone. Typically no one bothers them or cares so they stay where they are." she explained. She knew all too well how the residents of her home land treated their orphans. Once upon a time she was the dirtied girl trying to keep warm under the harsh winds of Skyrim.

"Ah. Something should be done about that." Ulfric said as they entered their room and closed the door. 

"Sadly, I don't think there's much we can do. You can't change the people." Zynobia shrugged, beginning to strip out of her armor.

"So what of this child?" Ulfric asked.

"Her name is Sofie," she said, giving her husband a look, "and I think this place is more than big enough to take in an extra person." she finished, pulling on a night gown and falling into the large bed, sighing happily as she sunk into it.

"Are you suggesting we adopt her?" he asked, now in his own night wear and climbing in next to her. She flicked her hand like she had in Sofie's room, making their own fire go out, bathing them in darkness.

"Not suggesting. Saying. We're adopting her." Zynobia said. Ulfric just chuckled, he knew what he was getting into by marrying the stubborn dragonborn who fought dragons and bandits and drauger but had a heart of gold.

"I suppose it's time to try my hand at fatherhood." he said. She smiled, rolling over to face him, barely able to see the outline of his face in the black of their room.

"You'll make a great father, Ulfric." she said.

"And you a mother. I'm surprised it took this long to be quite honest." he said. She just smiled and moved up against him, he wrapped his arms around her instantly and they stayed like that until the fell asleep.

~~~

Being a warrior, assassin, thief, dragon killer, Zynobia had learned to be a light sleeper. This is why the moment her door creeked open, she was sitting up in bed, eyes darting around the room. Ulfric was up instantly also, due to his own dangerous life styles. Sofie stood there, still looking so young for her age, nightgown practically swallowing her as it hung to the floor. Her eyes widened.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you!" she exclaimed. Zynobia was up in a second.

"No, no, hun, it's perfectly alright. Come on, let's get you a dress and some breakfast." she said, yawning and stumbling. She had gotten maybe a total of three hours of sleep and after all of the traveling and such, she was running low on fuel. Ulfric instantly stood. 

"No. Go back to bed, I'll take care of it." he ordered. Zynobia raised an eyebrow at her husband but he just walked over and kissed her forehead.

"Oh alright. Sofie, why don't you wait just two minutes so Ulfric can get dressed, okay?" she asked. Sofie nodded and stepped out.

Ulfric stepped out, fully armored, to find Sofie sitting with her back against the wall. She scrambled to stand up and now it was Ulfric's turn to observe her. His wife was write. Sofie was much too small.

"Come on, Sifnar is a great cook." he said, offering the child his large hand. She hesitated before taking it, her slim fingers tiny compared to his. Together they walked to the kitchen.

~~~

Zynobia walked downstairs in a simple light blue gown to find Sofie smiling excitedly as Ulfric told her some story from his many travels. She walked over and sat across from the two as her husband reached the end of his story.

"You fought off all those bandits?!" Sofie asked in excitement once the tale was over. 

"Every last one." Ulfric answered, a smirk of arrogance on his face.

"Oh no, Sofie, careful, the man's pride is big enough." Zynobia laughed, causing the other two to join in.

"Are you gonna have breakfast?" Ulfric asked her. She shrugged and grabbed an apple, taking a bite.

"So, Sofie," she began after swallowing her first bite, "Ulfric and I spoke last night, and we're going to adopt you." she said. Sofie's eyes lit up.

"Really? Are you- are you sure?" she asked.

"Of course we are!" Zynobia exclaimed.

"Yea! Thanks! I promise I'll be the best daughter ever!" she exclaimed standing and running over to hug the woman. Zynobia grinned and winked at her husband over the little girls head and he grinned. It's about time they started a little family.


End file.
